


In a Fairytale

by BeccaBear93



Series: Prompt Fills [6]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Fluff, Past Character Death, Past Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough, Prompt Fill, The Princess and the Pea Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaBear93/pseuds/BeccaBear93
Summary: A twist on The Princess and the Pea, Aerti style.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Series: Prompt Fills [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152002
Kudos: 23
Collections: Other Rhifealachian AUs





	In a Fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> I had so much fun with this one lol. I've always had some Issues with the Princess and the Pea, so... here's a slight twist on it with our favorite girls. (Also, the queen is neither Elmyra or Ifalna, because they're both way too cool for that shit lmao)

There was once a princess, a lonely princess.

Her name was Aerith, and she had been betrothed once, to a prince with dark hair and a golden soul. She had loved him dearly, but lost him in battle, and nobody would allow her the time to grieve him properly. The citizenry, the advisors, even her own parents the king and queen urged her to act quickly, to move on and find another beloved among the royalty of the neighboring kingdoms, or to fake it if need be. Political ties were more important than a broken heart, after all.

So when the princess finally announced that she was ready to meet new suitors, the news was met with excitement and celebration, and a grand ball was held. One after another, men bowed before her, and Aerith danced with each and learned their names and smiled politely and never felt a single spark. And at the end of the night, she informed her parents that she would marry none of them, for none could capture her heart.

Before they could argue, there was a loud banging on the castle door, and an attendant reluctantly showed in a beautiful young woman with midnight locks and eyes that burned bright and determined. “This young woman claims to be the princess of Nibelheim and requests a place to sleep for the night,” the attendant said wearily.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” she said, curtsying clumsily as she struggled to even keep her balance and pant for breath. The girl was clearly exhausted, and Aerith’s heart went out to her. “I tried to make it in time for the ball, but there were many monsters between my home and yours, and I’m afraid they nearly got the better of me.”

The queen and king glanced over her soaked clothing and dirty gloves and shook their heads, but before they could respond, Aerith jolted up out of her seat. “Of course you can stay,” she said, throwing her parents a warning glance as she descended the stairs to take the other woman by the elbow. “Let’s get you a bath and some dry clothes to change into first, though. May I know your name?”

“Tifa,” the woman replied with a grateful smile. “Tifa Lockhart. And you are Princess Aerith, correct?”

Aerith smiled and nodded and led her through the many halls of the castle. “You can bathe here,” she said when they eventually stopped. “I’ll leave some clothes outside the door; I hope they’ll fit you alright.”

“Thank you,” Tifa said with a nod before disappearing into the bathroom.

Aerith returned to her own room to search for anything that may fit and eventually brought back a long, purple nightgown that she felt would suit her. Then she hurried back to her parents, unsurprised to find them muttering to each other and stopping abruptly to stare her down. “I could not allow her to be left out in the rain,” she explained. And then, hesitantly, hoping it would help sway them, “But she is also already far more intriguing than anyone I met tonight.”

“I understand, my dear,” her mother said with a cautious glance at her husband, “But… I find it doubtful that she is truly the princess Tifa.”

“Indeed. She had no one accompanying her and was wearing the clothing of a fighter, not a princess.”

“Can she not be both?” Aerith asked disbelievingly. “Am I not trained in magic as much as diplomacy?”

“Be that as it may,” the queen said dismissively, “There is simply no evidence to support her claim.”

“Mother—!”

“Might I make a suggestion?” Aerith’s attendant spoke up hesitantly. They all turned to him, and the princess silently prayed that he would take her side in the matter. “What about a test?”

“…What kind of test?” she asked worriedly.

“A princess must be sensitive, yes?”

“I suppose so…” Aerith answered, completely unable to see where he was taking this train of thought.

“If the girl is truly the royalty she claims to be, then she should be able to feel a single pea under her back, even if it were hidden beneath 20 mattresses.”

“I—what—Are you an _idiot_?” Aerith shouted. Her parents shot her a look, but she ignored them. “That is _not_ what I thought you meant by ‘sensitive!’ _Nobody_ would feel that, and if they did, they surely wouldn’t have the gall to say anything about it to the people housing them, especially if those people were royalty!”

“Aerith…” her mother warned. “I think it’s an excellent idea. What do you say, my king?”

“If you believe it’s worth trying, then I will gladly agree.”

“This is ridiculous!” the princess argued, but the queen was already waving the attendant along to set the necessary preparations. Aerith sighed. “Fine. But if you insist on being so stubborn, then I must as well. I will not be meeting any new suitors after today’s mess.”

“Aerith—”

The princess did not stop to hear her mother’s words, already striding out the door and down the hall. She stopped by the bathroom, but another attendant was already there. “I’m sorry, princess, but I cannot allow you to speak with the girl again. I will show her to her room and give her your regards when she’s ready.”

Aerith sighed again. “…Fine. Thank you.” She continued on her way to her room, falling backwards onto her bed when she arrived. Already, her mind was rushing, trying to find a solution for something that shouldn’t matter at all. Tifa was already being allowed to stay the night and recover from her journey; why was she fighting for her parents to believe her lineage? What had drawn her so quickly to the other woman?

She had no answers.

It didn’t take long for a plan to form, albeit an utterly ridiculous, dangerous one. She waited until the dead of night to change into a pair of pants and sensible shoes. Then she snuck out of her room, wandering the halls until she found a guard posted outside of a door. That must be where Tifa was staying, then. Aerith ducked into a room several doors down before the guard could spot her. The first room was easy enough to move through, since it had a door leading directly to the next. From there it got trickier, though. She passed onto the balcony and quietly slipped the door shut behind her, just in case the draft could be felt or the wind heard beyond that room. Then she jumped to grab the roof ledge and climbed up, wobbling slightly before catching her balance. She walked slowly and carefully, counting the number of balconies she passed, thankful for her knowledge of the castle inside and out from a childhood spent playing hide-and-seek with participants who might not have always known they were part of the game.

Four balconies. Six rooms.

Aerith crouched and climbed down from the roof as carefully as she had climbed up, landing as quietly as possible. She rapped on the glass door and heard a terrified squeak, then a long silence. For a moment, she was worried that Tifa wouldn’t come to unlock the door, but she eventually appeared, pushing the curtain aside and sighing in relief when she saw who her visitor was. “You scared the daylights out of me!” she whispered as she let her in.

“Sorry,” Aerith said with a helpless shrug. “They wouldn’t let me talk to you, so I had to… take the hard route.”

“I see that,” the other woman said, leaning out to peer up at the roof disbelievingly before closing the door. “May I ask why you’re here?”

“My parents, they—oh.”

“‘Oh,’ what?” Tifa asked worriedly, but Aerith quickly shook her head.

“It’s nothing, just…” She trailed off, flushed, and after a long moment, she gestured to the nightgown and finished, “It—it looks lovely on you, that’s all.”

“Oh, I—thank you,” Tifa said, glancing down at her feet with an embarrassed grin. She took a deep, steadying breath before looking back up. “But what were you saying about your parents?”

“O-oh, right! They… don’t believe that you’re truly Princess Tifa.”

Tifa glanced down at herself in confusion. “I mean… I know I wasn’t in the greatest shape when I arrived this evening, but I’m certainly not such a talented actress that I could appear to be… _me_ if I _wasn_ _’t_ me.”

Aerith giggled. “That didn’t make much sense, but I think I know what you meant. But the fact remains, they do not believe you, and they have decided on a test to prove whether or not you are who you say you are.”

“Oh? And you came to warn me about this test?”

She nodded. “They’ve had a pea placed beneath all those mattresses,” she said, nodding towards the enormous pile with a ladder propped against it.

“I _was_ wondering about all that…” Tifa said, eyebrow raised curiously.

“If you want to pass the test, you’ll have to complain about how uncomfortable it was.” At Tifa’s look, Aerith shook her head. “I know. It makes no sense. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Tifa said, starting the climb up the ladder and gesturing for Aerith to follow her.

They sat at the top of the mountainous bed in silence for several minutes before Aerith spoke up hesitantly. “Tifa…?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Can I ask… why you came here?”

Tifa tilted her head questioningly. “What do you mean? Didn’t I mention it earlier? I tried to make it in time for the ball.”

“Yes, but… _Why?_ You weren’t _obligated_ to come; there weren’t representatives from _all_ of the neighboring kingdoms.”

“Well, I…” She glanced away to hide a blush. “I intended to vie for your hand, of course.”

Oh. Well. That was one question answered, then.

Carefully maneuvering around that topic, Aerith asked, “And the monsters along the way? Did you really fight them all yourself?”

“Mmhmm. I suppose I should’ve brought a soldier or two along with me, though,” Tifa replied sheepishly. “I overestimated myself and ended up late and exhausted.”

“That’s amazing, though!” Aerith said, kicking her feet excitedly. “Who trained you?”

Tifa’s expression lit up as she answered, and Aerith couldn’t help but ask more and more questions about her life, and she got plenty to answer in return. It wasn’t until the first rays of sunlight passed through the curtain that she realized how long she’d been there. “Damn!” she whispered, grinning at Tifa’s stifled giggle. “It’s morning; I have to get back to my room before they try to wake either of us!” She started down the ladder, then peeked back up over the top mattress to remind the other woman, “Don’t forget about the pea, okay? I’d be pretty disappointed if I lost the only marriage candidate I’ve had any interest in because of something as silly as _that_.” Aerith winked, then hurried down the ladder before Tifa could respond, her face bright red.

As she slipped out the door, she heard Tifa’s quiet call of, “I won’t!”

* * *

Aerith had to be careful to maintain a cold facade at breakfast, eating quietly and pretending to still be angry with her parents for their tricks. (Well, maybe the anger wasn’t _entirely_ feigned; it was still a stupid plan, even if she knew now that Tifa wouldn’t fall for it.)

“So, how did you sleep last night, dear?” the queen asked Tifa with a slight smile. “Well, I hope?”

“Well…” Tifa glanced down at her food, taking a few bites to stall.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, it’s just… It was lovely of you to allow me to stay, and to put me in a room with such a wonderful bed, but… Even so, I just couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep.” She looked up finally, and the bags beneath her eyes were proof enough that she truly hadn’t slept all night. “My back aches, but I have no idea why.”

Aerith stifled a giggle, turning it into a cough and avoiding her parents’ eyes when they turned her way.

“I see…” her mother said, glancing to the attendant who had made the suggestion of a test in the first place. He shrugged helplessly. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I suppose she’s just _sensitive_ ,” Aerith said pointedly. “As a princess ‘ _should be._ ’”

“I suppose so,” she answered tiredly. “Well then, Aerith, why don’t you show Princess Tifa around after breakfast? We can talk more about this later.”

“…Of course, mother.”

And so Aerith did exactly that, showing Tifa around the castle, and the surrounding city and its people, and the woods beyond. And when they stopped the horse in the middle of a clearing deep in those woods and she kissed Tifa, Tifa kissed back, shy and hesitant, and Aerith felt the spark that had been missing from her life for such a long time. And although Tifa could never replace her first love, Aerith could clearly see that she, too, had a golden soul. So she fought to keep her by her side, and when more definitive proof of her heritage eventually came along, her parents accepted it.

And when the date of their wedding finally arrived a year later, their people rejoiced, but she was blind and deaf to it all. All she could see was Tifa, in her beautiful gown with her eyes shining the brightest she’d seen. As Aerith stood outside after, hiding in the shadows to gather herself and wait for her bride to finish changing, her attendant who had once held so much trust sidled up beside her. “You look radiant, Your Royal Highness.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with a small smirk. “Happy, even, I’d wager.”

“Of course I’m happy,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “But what are you doing out here? Isn’t there enough to keep you busy inside?”

Rather than answering, he asked, “Do you remember the night that you met Her Royal Highness, Princess Tifa?”

“Of course I do.” With a slight pout, Aerith added, “I’ve never fully forgiven you for that day. I thought you would take my side against my parents.”

“Didn’t I?”

“What in Gaia’s name are you talking about?”

He turned to face her fully, his smile catching her off guard. “They were nearly ready to toss her back out in the rain, but I convinced them to let her stay. I suggested a test that I knew you could find an answer to.”

“…That you knew I would cheat on, you mean,” she said, the picture slowly coming together.

“I’d never say that, ma’am,” he replied, but the twinkle in his eyes said that he wouldn’t disagree. “But I just thought you should know, that I’ve always been rooting for you. That I serve you above all others and always will.”

“…Thank you,” Aerith said. The urge to pull him into a hug was nearly overwhelming, but it would hardly be proper, and they were outside where anyone could see and start rumors. So instead, she just repeated, “Thank you,” and then straightened up and started walking away. “Now, I think it’s about time that I go find my beautiful wife and steal her away.”

He just grinned. “Of course, Your Highness… By the way, that pea may be placed in a museum. It’s become so entwined in the epic tale of your love.”

“Don’t you dare start that,” she warned, turning back at his teasing.

“I don’t know,” Tifa said, sneaking up behind Aerith to wrap her arms around her. “I think it’s kind of romantic, even if they don’t know the real story behind it.”

“Don’t _you_ start that either,” Aerith said, turning to her with a pout.

Tifa simply kissed it away, though. “Now, I think I heard something about stealing me away?”

Aerith grinned. “Oh yes. We’re going to lands far, far away, where nobody will know who we are, and where we can live in peace for a bit before we have to return to the chaos of palace life.”

“Sounds perfect. Where do we start?”


End file.
